In the Name of God:  Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Another story about a remarkable encounter with Jesus:  last week we heard about Nicodemus meeting with Jesus; this week we hear about Jesus conversing with a Samaritan woman.  If you lay the two stories side by side, you’ll notice that they could be described as being opposites . . . today’s story takes place in the middle of the day instead of the middle of the night, like last week; today Jesus initiates the conversation instead of being sought out for dialogue, today Jesus is talking to a lower class woman instead of to an upper class man . . . everything is different.  EXCEPT for the fact that, once again, the encounter with Jesus is utterly transforming.

Let’s look again at today’s story:  In the middle of a hot day, Jesus asks a Samaritan woman for a drink of water.  Two people who in the normal course of affairs would have nothing to do with each other have an encounter.  In the course of their conversation, the woman comes to understand that she is talking to someone extraordinary.  She comes to believe that Jesus is the Messiah.  And she, a woman of questionable reputation, becomes Jesus’ first missionary to the Samaritans.  If you look closely at today’s story, you’ll notice that, unlike last week’s story, everything’s all wrong with it . . . everybody is doing something they shouldn’t be doing . . . which is probably why I like it so much.

I’ll show you what I mean.  Look at this story from a cultural point of view . . . and for the record, I’ve gathered this information from a scholar named John J. Pilch[1], in his work, The Cultural World of Jesus.  The Mediterranean world of Jesus is divided according to gender.  Women have their places – the kitchen and the home – and men have theirs – the outdoors and the marketplace.  The well is the one place common to both men and women, but they’re not supposed to be there at the same time.  Women are only supposed to use the well in the morning or in the evening.  But in this morning’s story, as you remember, the woman comes to the well at noon . . . the wrong time . . . and so also the wrong place.

She probably comes at this hour because she’s shunned by the other women of the village . . . remember, she’s had FIVE husbands, and now she’s living with a man she’s not even married to!  If we met someone like this today, our eyebrows might rise . . . but 2,000 years ago!?! . . . in the ancient Mediterranean world?!?. . . this woman is SCANDALOUS . . . OUTRAGEOUS!  She probably comes to the well at this hour because all the other “proper” women will be somewhere else, and by coming at this hour she can at least avoid their abuse.

And NOW she’s speaking to a strange man in public.  The woman herself admits that this is unusual:  “How is it that you, a Judean man, ask me, a Samaritan woman, for a drink.”  WE might think that the problem is that a Judean and a Samaritan are speaking to each other . . . but, culturally, that’s not the biggest problem.  The biggest problem is their different genders.  A man speaking to an unchaperoned woman in a public place is very suspicious.  The disciples are SHOCKED when they see it.  One translation reads, “The disciples are ASTONISHED that Jesus is speaking with a woman.”  In fact, they’re so shocked that they don’t think to ask the obvious questions:  “What do you want?” of the woman, or “Why are you speaking with her?” of Jesus.  This conversation between Jesus and this woman is just plain WRONG!

And THEN this woman goes to the marketplace . . . a place largely reserved for men.  Women are not supposed to come here when men are present.  This is bad enough, but then our heroine speaks forthrightly and openly . . . something else she’s probably not supposed to do . . . and admits to everyone that Jesus knows everything that they already know.  She says, “He told me all that I ever did.”  In other words, she’s saying, “This stranger knew everything about me, every shocking, scandalous, sinful thing I’ve ever done, at our very first meeting . . . he knew just how outrageous I am!  Can you believe it?!”  Now surely, that’s the wrong thing to say.

And Jesus is behaving no better.  He’s a full participant in all this wrongdoing . . . he talks in the wrong way to the wrong person at the wrong time in the wrong place.  In a carefully orchestrated dialogue – look at it closely sometime . . . it has seven parts, a very important number in the Bible, with Jesus and the woman each speaking seven times – in this carefully orchestrated dialogue Jesus guides this woman progressively from ignorance to enlightenment . . . from misunderstanding to understanding.  She may be the most carefully catechized person in the entire Gospel of John!  And she’s a WOMAN!

Even though this woman demonstrates her brazenness through her actions and her willingness to discuss so-called “masculine” topics like politics and religion, Jesus answers her questions directly and forthrightly.  He might be talking to another man . . . and THAT’S downright revolutionary!  Some scholars even refer to this woman as the first apostle in the Gospel . . . pointing out that Jesus commissions her to go forth and spread the Word:  “Go call your husband, and come back.”  A woman apostle?!?!?! . . . I’m speechless!

See what I mean?  Everything’s all wrong in the story . . . wrong, Wrong, WRONG!  Don’t you just love it?!

At the beginning of this sermon I suggested to you that we could look at last week’s Gospel story and this week’s as a study in opposites.  One of the principal differences I want to talk about now is the difference between insiders and outsiders.  Nicodemus is clearly an insider:  a Pharisee, a member of the Sanhedrin, an aristocrat.  The woman in today’s story is most clearly an OUTsider:  a scandalous sinner.  Yet, I think it’s safe to say that both Nicodemus and the Samaritan woman are transformed by their encounters with Jesus . . . both the insider and the outsider are changed.

Do you ever think of this business of “insiders” and “outsiders” very much?  How do you think of yourself, right now?  Are you an insider at Grace?  Or are you an outsider?  A bit of both?  What about in other places in your life . . . where are you an insider and where are you an outsider?  Well, as the preacher William Willimon points out in a sermon on this very topic[2], there’s good news for both the insiders and the outsiders . . . because whichever we are, Jesus gives us what we need. 

If we’re an insider, like Nicodemus, Jesus gives a challenge.  Over and over again in the Gospels, we’re reminded – like in the story today – that Jesus seeks out, leans toward, reaches out to the outsiders of the world.  And so he prods us insiders, confuses us, pushes us off balance . . . leaves us speechless.  He unsettles our settled truths to lead us into an ever deeper relationship with him.  He takes us to new places to remind us what it is like to be an outsider . . . to remind us that – as settled as we may feel – we are not at our destination yet.  Jesus reminds us that we are on a journey of faith with him and that we must welcome everyone else on this journey with us . . . ESPECIALLY the outsiders.

And if you’re feeling like an outsider, like the Samaritan woman at the well?  Then Jesus gives you a great big welcome!  He’ll seek you out, start a conversation, lead you to new understandings.  He’ll give you encouragement and solace.  No matter how much of a misfit you think you are, Jesus will look into your heart and know you through and through . . . and he’ll forgive you.  He might even make you an apostle!

Where do you find yourself this Sunday?  What would you call yourself . . . an insider or an outsider?  Well, the Gospel stories remind us that, wherever we are, Jesus is there.  We are found.  We are called.  Enjoy the conversation . . . the encounter with Jesus will be utterly transforming!

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